History Of The Snorkel Coat

Of the considerable number of buys we make heading into the cooler months, few are as figured and explored as the winter coat. Weights are considered, textures are examined, lengths are looked at, all with the expectation that we’ll see that subtle “flawless coat.” Yet, at last, wouldn’t it simply be less demanding to overlook all that and pick a coat construct absolutely in light of name? Since let’s be honest; is there any bit of attire that sounds cooler than the Snorkel? Before you believe I’m going to chalk up one of the best bits of outerwear at any point intended to just a name, how about we make a stride back a large portion of 10 years, before the snorkel parka ever even had it’s compelling moniker, back when it was essentially known as the N-3B.

It was around this time the U.S. military started to exceed their present parka style, the typically named N-2B. While the midsection length, split-hooded N-2B had worked for a considerable length of time, it was basically not sufficiently healthy to withstand the inexorably brutal conditions that fighters confronted. In this manner the N-3B was created. A seventy five percent length, completely hooded coat, it was planned uncommonly for plane carrying warship flight deck teams who could confront temperatures as low as negative sixty degrees fahrenheit. The hood was the coat’s key completing touch, enabling the wearer to totally close their whole face with the exception of one modest hole at the best that went about as an air opening – subsequently the Snorkel moniker.

For a decade or so, the military produced the jackets with a nylon shell and a blanket lining, but as the years past, new technologies emerged, allowing for constant improvements to the jacket’s composition. In the ’70s, polyester was introduced to the market, and while most might hear that word and think about itchy suits and awful disco tracks, to the military polyester was the final key in realizing the snorkel parka’s intended protective power. The polyester lined snorkel could brave fierce ocean winds, and subzero temperatures, ensuring the utmost level of protection on the front lines. And hey, if it’s strong enough for the military then it’s more than enough for us civilians. It was around this time surplus companies began producing the snorkel parka to the exact same specs as the military version and selling it everyday folks.

Much like the MA-1 bomber and other military pieces, the early adopters were all drawn to the garments for their exceptionally low price points. In the case of the snorkel, it became a staple of school kids in the UK; chosen by parents who wanted something both cheap and something that could also take all the mayhem that a teenager could and would throw at it. Soon thereafter, the jacket spread to the masses, not only in England, but throughout Europe and in the states well. In the ’80s and ’90s, it was donned by East Coast rappers who loved the jacket’s puffy lining and oversized hoods while simultaneously picked up by indie rockers in the Northwest lo for something simple that could carry them through the blustery winters.

Recently the snorkel parka has become a favorite style for American designers that bridge the gap between sportswear and surplus. Designers such as Aaron Levine at Club Monaco and Todd Snyder have worked to update the outerwear, subbing out its puffy lining for slimmer options like fleece blankets and toying with colors that break from the typical sage green (think punchier options like safety orange). If you’re looking for a workhorse piece of outerwear that will get you through a potentially hellish winter just think of what those ’50’s-era soldiers wore working on ships and the choice becomes pretty clear. And let’s be honest, does anything sound more badass than saying you’re wearing a snorkel parka? Yeah, I didn’t think so.